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STANDARD 13:55

Hello and welcome to the BBC's coverage of the unrest in Ukraine, as police continue to clash with anti-government protesters for a second day in the capital. Over the last 24 hours, the death toll from the violence has risen to 26.

STANDARD 13:59

In the last few hours, police have launched renewed assaults on protest camps set up in Independence Square, also known as the Maidan, with reports of several tents set ablaze and water cannon used. The square has been the focus of weeks of anti-government protests in central Kiev.

STANDARD 14:02

The EU has voiced alarm over the deteriorating situation and says it is considering financial sanctions and visa restrictions "against those responsible for violence and use of excessive forces". EU leaders plan to meet on Thursday to discuss the "targeted measures", says European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.

STANDARD 14:04

The violence erupted on Tuesday outside parliament after government supporters blocked attempts to scale back the president's constitutional powers. Fighting spread to nearby streets, then police launched their first attack on the central protest camp on Tuesday evening.

STANDARD 14:06

It is unclear what sparked the clashes, with each side blaming the other. Speaking earlier today, President Yanukovych said he blamed "radical elements", urging opposition leaders to distance themselves from those "who seek bloodshed and conflict". Protesters meanwhile blame pro-government agents, known as "titushki", of inciting the violence.

STANDARD 14:12

The interior ministry says ten of those killed yesterday were police. At least 14 protesters were also among the dead, as well as a journalist working for the Russian-language newspaper Vesti.

People have been paying their respects outside the Ukrainian embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Wednesday.

STANDARD 14:28

STANDARD 14:29

The unrest is not just restricted to the Ukrainian capital, with reports of violence erupting in the western cities of Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Ternopil.

EMAIL 14:31

Yasir Aziz, in Kiev,

emails: Now living in Kiev is like living in hell. Every where a strange fear is surrounding. Metro services are closed and life is on the edge. The war at Maidan has affected life of common people. Mr. President Yanokovych and opposition leaders must the stop hide and seek game and avoid playing with innocent people. The people of Ukraine are tired of dirty politics games and demanding a better life. I, as a foreign international relations student here in Kiev, have observed a strange shine in the eyes of my colleagues to fight for their better rights. My young university mates who have been calm throughout, have now decided to stand up!

STANDARD 14:32

Protesters have also reportedly seized weapons from a security service building they captured in the western city of Ivano-Frankivsk including 268 pistols, two rifles, three handheld machine guns and 92 grenades, according to Interfax-Ukraine news agency.